U.S. authorities have taken controlof three Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States after Russian staff complied with a 48-hour deadline to vacate the sites.

Russia is urgingthe United States to return Russian diplomatic facilities it says U.S. authorities have “seized” in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., calling it an “openly hostile act.”

A former Soviet military officer and Washington lobbyist who attended a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump’s son during the 2016 campaign has deniedworking for Russian military intelligence but said he saw documents with damaging information about rival Hillary Clinton at the meeting.

Leaders from the so-called BRICS countries — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — are meetingin the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen on September 3-5.

The Kremlin says Russian President Vladimir Putinwill not attend the United Nations General Assembly later this month.

The brother of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashviliis facing deportationfrom Ukraine on allegations that he was in the country illegally, a move that comes amid a fierce standoff between the ex-head of state and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko.

Georgian troops have joined counterpartsfrom the United States and other countries for the start of the Agile Spirit 2017 military drills — the seventh time the maneuvers have been held.

LATEST POWER VERTICAL PODCAST

In case you missed it, the latest Power Vertical Podcast, Active Measures, looks at Russia’s political war in Europe and at new revelations about Moscow’s cyberattacks on the United States.

NEW POWER VERTICAL BRIEFING

And, on this week’s Power Vertical Briefing, we look at reports that Russian lawmakers are drafting a new law on “undesirable behavior.”

The Royal United Services Institute, or RUSI, will release a new report on September 12 written by Igor Sutyagin and Justin Bronk: Russia’s New Ground Forces: Capabilities, Limitations And Implications For International Security.

The War On ‘Undesirables’

According to a report in the Kremlin mouthpiece Izvestia, the Federation Council is drafting legislation prohibiting “undesirable behavior.” The legislation would provide for the deportation of foreigners and the prosecution of Russians who act in a manner that harms national security.